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Ballroom enthusiasts find their hobby
demands style, grace and athleticism
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"This is harder than going through medical AND dental school."
Clarence Lum says this with a small laugh. The amateur ballroom dancer and his professional instructor and dance partner Jessica Way have just finished, in quick consecutive order, short routines in international waltz, tango, foxtrot and quickstep.
They shared an expansive dance floor with seven other pairs Friday during "heats" of the 14th annual Hawaii Star Ball at the Sheraton Waikiki ballroom.
Catching their breath in the lobby, the retired dentist from Makiki and the transplant from Connecticut are effusive about the results of their debut in this "socially refined" activity that borders on real sport.
Don't let the elegant dress of these men and women fool you. They're jocks devoted to an activity that demands great physical acuity. The couples are precisely in sync with the music, carriages erect, and hands and arms carefully positioned, with male leads fluidly negotiating their way through the other teams. Despite the occasional stumble and awkward run-in, the best of teams move with effortless aplomb, an assured and well-rehearsed grace.
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Television viewers got a view of competitive ballroom dancing this summer with ABC's surprise hit "Dancing with the Stars," which actually was extended into early fall due to a disputed conclusion, something the network was quite willing to resolve for its millions of fans.
Movies have contributed as well, i.e. last year's American remake of the Japanese "Shall We Dance?" with Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Jennifer Lopez, and this year's documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom."
Way and other ballroom veterans at the Hawaii Star Ball say the added exposure has helped boost the number of students and participants over the last couple of months.
So why weren't more local people dancing the day away last weekend?
Although there is a Hawaii Ballroom Dance Society, ball organizer Geoffrey Fells says the bulk of the local audience dances for enjoyment, not competition.
They'll come out for the Star Ball's dinner/exhibitions, where they can dance without worrying about being scrutinized by judges, as well as see the day's winners and exhibitions by professional dance couples from the mainland, Canada and Japan.
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Lum says he and his wife remain social dancers, even though they joined Christopher Bayot's Keep on Dancing school on Ward Avenue five years ago. They are also enthusiastic viewers of the ballroom contests that PBS regularly broadcasts.
Seeing how "the dancers flow like ice skaters," the Lums were inspired to take their hoofing skills up a level. While Mrs. Lum is too shy to compete, Clarence has been willing to try.
"It teaches you posture and poise," he says. He and Way have been a team since January. "She has a good eye and knowledge of the dance."
An escapee from cold winters of the Northeast, Way brought her instructing skills to Honolulu several years ago. "Compared to the sometimes cutthroat competition I've seen on the mainland, it's a little more friendly out here," she says. "The camaraderie has a different vibe. It's very relaxed."
Adds Lum: "It's the nature of our local culture not to show off. But for me to be a better dancer, I have to be more skillful. Seeing these other dance teams from abroad doing their routines, I was impressed by their high level. And it makes me want to reach my potential as well. I like how the dance competition makes me be right there, to be on the spot. I know I'm not going to get better overnight, but my goal is to improve."
Way says that dancing forces participants to retrain their bodies. "With Clarence, he spent a lifetime hunching his shoulders while working over his patients," she said. "Now he's learned to keep them up while dancing, and not leaning back."
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AL FRANZ is dancing with three of his students throughout the Friday heats. By the time afternoon rolls around, the former Baltimore resident and U.S. Ten Dance professional champion is fanning himself with the cover of a macadamia nut chocolate box. Still, with the stamina of a vet, he soldiers on.
At his studio on South Street and as a private instructor, Franz teaches students from beginners to advanced, teenagers to those in their 50s.
He says his tutelage "is the perfect way for those without a partner."
In fact, the previous day he had helped student Tammy Maeda win a first-place Latin Jive pin. (In pro-am contests, the amateurs get the accolades, thanks to their professional partners.) Maeda, a regional communications manager for the Sheraton, has a background in ballet, tap and jazz from her school years at Punahou School, and started dancing with Franz only 2 1/2 months ago.
"All my life, I've always wanted to do ballroom dancing, and a few weeks before the Star Ball, Al said, 'Why don't you compete?'" Maeda recalls.
"The techniques of ballroom dancing are different from what I've known from doing other kinds of dancing. You use different muscles in the competitive style. While anyone can do the steps, in order to do them beautifully, you must learn to master them with a sense of dedication and passion.
"It was exciting to be part of this and to see dance with brand new eyes."
Saying that she's "a goner" for ballroom dancing, Maeda is now taking private lessons from both Franz and Latin instructor Carlos Chang.
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Ing says young people who didn't grow up with ballroom and Latin dancing feel as though they've discovered something totally different. "Like it's so far back, it's a new thing," he said.
Ing has competed at the Hawaii Star Ball since 2000. "Not only are there more teams competing, but the dance has gotten more athletic. This year, the Star Ball is using all of the hotel ballroom space for a larger floor. The dance teams tend to move more aggressively, and really use their legs to dance the entire floor. ... You have to look relaxed while practically running across the floor."
Tomei, who learned to dance in a club while attending Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., had just come away with a couple of award pins in her third pro-am competition. "While the dance is all about looking nice and graceful, it's a lot more strenuous than it appears," she said.
Local dancers depend on visiting professionals and seasoned amateurs to teach and help them excel. Ing has benefited from his own pro partner, Yanna Samkova from New York.
"She comes here for vacation often, and holds workshops," he said. "What I've learned from her is that there is a lot that goes into the dance, like simple things as getting onto the floor. We become performers, and it's all about handling the pressure. She's very good in stressing the little things that make a routine that much better. And it's enabled me to grow in confidence on the dance floor."
Al Franz Studio at 599-5335, or the UH Dancesport Club (open to
non-UH students as well) at 386-3264. More classes can be found
in the Yellow Pages under "Dancing Instruction."
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